The San Francisco 49ers are looking to bolster their defense. With three days left before the trade deadline, they acquired DL Keion White from the New England Patriots to reinforce an injury-hit defensive front. Recently, when defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was asked about the possibility of adding more linemen, his response was direct.

During his press conference, Saleh said, “It’ll be good to see what Keion’s got.” After noting that a few players are expected to return soon, he added, “The adding part, that’s more for John and Kyle to answer, but you know, I’ll never say no.”

While Saleh left roster decisions to General Manager John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, he made it clear that he’s open to more help. With the 49ers sitting at 5-3 and dealing with defensive injuries, reinforcements might be exactly what they need.

The 49ers’ defense has generated just 8 forced fumbles so far and is locked in a historic drought of interceptions. Much of that decline stems from a string of injuries across the defensive front.

San Francisco first lost star defensive end Nick Bosa to a torn ACL in Week 3. Since then, Yetur Gross-Matos and Bryce Huff have both been limited with hamstring injuries. Jordan Elliott and Sam Okuayinonu are also nursing ankle issues and were limited in Wednesday’s practice.

That explains the team’s decision to add Clelin Ferrell to the practice squad on October 29. But with Saleh keeping the door open and analysts echoing the same sentiment, the 49ers might not be done making moves yet.

Insiders link 49ers to Trey Hendrickson

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler reported that John Lynch is interested in Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. It would be a bold move, though the insiders noted that Cincinnati isn’t eager to part ways with him.

Hendrickson is in the last year of his contract, and he wants an extension that will pay him at least $35 million per season. The Bengals aren’t willing to meet that number, which makes any potential move for the 49ers an expensive one. Still, analysts believe San Francisco could stay active as the deadline nears.

“I’m looking at the 49ers, who need help at every single level of the defense, still have a winning record, and understand they’re in the latter part of a championship window given the ages of some of their great veterans,” Graziano said.

What makes the suggestion of new additions from the experts more legitimate is the position of the current two additions (White and Ferrell) in the defensive line. Although Ferrell has been added to the practice squad, he is expected to be a depth piece.

On the other hand, the addition of White might have bolstered the defensive line, but he is more of an interior rusher, just like Mykel Williams and Yetur Gross-Matos. This means the 49ers are still on the quest for a speed rusher off the edge to replace Nick Bosa and Bryce Huff.